US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island hours after Trump said 'no rush

The United States launched what officials described as limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, US officials told CBS, the BBC's US partner. The officials said the strikes were in response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing upon a US aircraft. Iran's state news agency IRNA reported several explosions on the island on Monday. There are no reports of damage or casualties.

They also land hours before US midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control Congress. Thirty-five Senate seats are up on November 3, and Democrats need a net gain of four to win.

The timing sits awkwardly beside the president's own words earlier the same day. Trump told reporters he was in "no rush" to ramp up strikes on Iran. "One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially," he said. Hours later, US officials were describing a strike they called limited.

The war began when the US and Israel attacked Iran in February. Trump has faced falling polling numbers and pressure from within his Republican party to end it. His approval rating began his second term at just over 50% and quickly fell into the 40s.

Officials have not said whether the strikes were intended to influence the election, and no evidence has been presented that they were. The BBC contacted US Central Command for comment. It is not yet known whether Centcom will confirm the strikes, what the US aircraft was doing when the IRGC fired on it, or how the action will affect voting.

What is clear is the sequence: a president saying there is no rush, a strike described as limited, and an election hours away. The rest is still being written.